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Committee approves $1.6M modification for agency nursing after nursing shortages at veterans centers
Summary
The committee approved a $1.6 million modification to a KDVA personal services contract to pay temporary agency nurses after COVID outbreaks and staffing shortfalls at a veterans center; officials said the modification covers agency nursing only and that the new nurses are tested for COVID.
Representatives from the Kentucky Department of Veterans Affairs told the committee a contract amendment to pay for temporary agency nursing staff was requested after Thompson Hood (a veterans center) experienced a COVID outbreak that required weeks of agency coverage.
LaDonna Scott, deputy executive director for the Office of Kentucky Veterans Centers, said the $1.6 million modification is for temporary, agency nursing only. She told legislators the facility used agency staff because the outbreak and turnover required immediate staffing and that agency nurses and 18A‑classified nurses receive different pay scales.
Representative Bauman asked how long the facility expects to rely on agency staff; officials said they could not predict when the 18A roster would be filled. Scott said the outbreak lasted about 11 weeks in recent months and confirmed the agency nurses are tested for COVID.
The committee moved to consider the contract reviewed without objection. A roll‑call vote recorded ayes and the motion carried, allowing the contract to proceed.
Committee members asked about timeframes and whether the agency expected to convert positions to regular staff; officials said they did not have a firm timeline and that the modification was intended as a temporary measure to ensure resident care.
